Our Vision

Working together to serve God, our vision is for our church community to be a place of vibrant Christian faith, connecting with our local community, and supported by collaborative sustainable ways of working together. For ten years now, we have put five priorities at the heart of our mission and ministry.

1. Growing disciples

Peter’s second letter describes our “precious faith” and says: “May grace and peace benyours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” (2 Peter 1:2)

• We offer many ways for people to grow as disciples of Christ — learning more about our faith and drawing others into relationship with God. This includes opportunities for enquirers to explore the Christian faith; opportunities for learning and sharing together; and continuing to enrich our preaching ministry and worship.
• At the heart of our discipleship is the commitment to caring for God’s good creation, and working for climate justice. We are proud to have been awarded the Eco Church Silver Award, and are now aiming for gold!

2. Drawing children and young people in to know the story of God’s love in their lives

There is no doubt that children are a priority for Jesus: “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” (Matthew 19:14)

• As a church community, we work closely with our schools: St Mary’s CofE Primary School and Sir William Romney. Families join worship, with Little Fishes Sunday School meeting in the 10am Sunday service, and monthly family worship in iSingPOP Celebrate in the school hall.
• We continue to look at every aspect of our church life and ask how it can be more “child friendly”; and ask what we can learn from other churches and organisations about engaging with children and young families.

3. Providing loving pastoral care within our local communities

Jesus says we are blessed when we care for those who are hungry and thirsty, lonely and sick, in need and in prison (Matthew 25: 34-36).

• Many people in our churches are involved in visiting and supporting people in our community. We have an active team of Pastoral Assistants and are privileged to be closely involved with the care homes in the community.
• We are committed to loving provision for people at those crossroads in their lives: at births, marriages, and at the death of loved ones. We seek always to offer support and welcome at these important times: to celebrate new life at a christening, to make a life-long commitment in marriage, or to remember loved ones and comfort those who mourn.

4. Finding effective ways to communicate

Jesus is clear he wants us to communicate well: ‘“No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a bushel basket, but on the lampstand so that those who enter may see the light.” (Luke 11:33)

• We make communication a priority both within and between our church community, and with the wider community so people know who we are, what we are doing and how to join in.

5. Finding imaginative ways to use our church building to be a hub for our local communities

Jesus commands us to love one another as he loves us (John 13:34).

• Using our building as a community space is a loving act: it provides opportunities for people to get to know one another, and builds relationships in our community. We hope it makes our church a place where people feel welcome and at home – and so more likely to come back!
• We continue to explore to make our beautiful church building welcoming and accessible, providing opportunities to use this space in creative ways.